Christmas Comfort
by LilyGhost
Summary: Stephanie's car breaks down and she finds herself at Ranger's with new plans for the holiday.


**Anyone or anything familiar I mentioned are Janet's. The mistakes are mine. Happy Holidays!**

"Where are you going, Babe?"

"Home."

"Your car broke down, remember?"

Like I can possibly forget that I just had to walk a few blocks in frigid air while Jack Frost was not only nipping at my nose, he'd been shooting direct blasts of flurry-laced air up the back of the dress I'd actually been happy to put on two hours ago.

"I only crashed your Christmas because I ran out of my apartment without grabbing my charging cell and I needed to call my mom and tell her that my car died, I made it safely here, and I won't be coming over for dinner. That's done now. I've officially canceled Christmas."

"You could have canceled dinner and Christmas in the lobby."

My eyebrows went way up. "No, I couldn't. You already know that before I could even ask Gene for the phone, the two 'als' - Hal and Cal - had me surrounded and proceeded to muscle me into the elevator. I can't help but wonder what orders you gave them about me."

"They know to give you anything you need."

" _Anything_?" I asked, before really thinking it through.

I shook my head at my own stupidity. It's not safe to flirt with Ranger. _Flirting_ leads to touching, and _touching_ leads to touching with body parts other than our hands.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. "Your skin just turned pink."

"It should. Thanks to your apartment being above twenty-degrees, I'm starting to feel my toes again."

"Given the height of the heels you just walked here in, you likely lost feeling in them three minutes after putting them on."

"That's true, but they look really good with my dress."

"They also make your legs look even sexier."

I guess discussing my legs gave him the idea that it's okay to thoroughly scan them.

"You think?" I asked.

"I _know_ ," he said, finally moving his eyes back up to mine.

 _Okay, Stephanie, leave now while you still have your underwear on,_ I ordered myself.

"Are you edging towards the door?" He asked.

I looked around. Yep, I _am_ a few inches closer to his front door.

"No," I said, in case he'd let me get away with lying.

He didn't.

"Your coat's still in the closet," he pointed out.

"That's your fault. You had it off of me half a second after I got off the elevator."

"There are other things I can remove from your body faster than that."

I held up my hand. "Uh-uh. I'm leaving ... and _all_ of my clothes are going to stay right where they are before I do."

"You're not going anywhere, Steph. It's cold outside, the snow has progressed from flurries to squalls, and you're not spending Christmas alone in your apartment with only a rodent for company."

"And I'm supposed to do _what_ instead? Hang out here and bug the guys all night?"

"No, you're spending the night with me."

Oh, crap. That's heart-pounding news, but also a really terrifying thought if he meant it the way it sounded.

"Don't you go to Newark for all holidays?" I asked, trying to avoid the real problem ... which is realizing I'd rather be here with him than pretty much anywhere else right now.

"If I can, but I also called and canceled dinner when I got word that your car was dead near Market Street. Did you get a lead on Keldor?"

As he was asking me that, he grabbed my wrist and tugged me further into his apartment. I wasn't putting up much of a fight. Truth is, I love spending time in Ranger's space. I like it even more when he's here with me to enjoy it, but we've been doing pretty good at being just friends even after Morelli and I parted ways before the holidays began. I don't want a Christmas sexfest to ruin the easy and comfortable relationship we've developed.

"Yeah," I said, answering his question.

I don't have to ask how he knows who I've been hunting. Ranger sees and hears all. I watched as he opened a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass of something that probably costs more than my grocery bill for the month of December. He handed me a glass and motioned me towards the living room.

"How did you wind up on Market Street?" He asked.

"I'd left a card with the step-brother I know he has issues with. Just as I was about to head to the Burg, the brother called saying Keldor was on his way to their mom's house. I thought to grab my gun, but stupid me didn't unplug my phone. I only made it halfway there, though. My POS apparently decided it wanted Christmas off and cut out on me. Luckily your building is located ten minutes from everywhere and I was able to make it here before frostbite set in. What the heck is that?" I asked, pointing towards a corner of the room with the hand holding my wine glass.

" _That_ is Ella's idea of a joke."

"A _black_ Christmas tree?" I said.

I examined the pitch-black tree covered in incredibly breakable looking silver ornaments similar to the way Lula had studied a weird bug that had smashed itself into my windshield a few months ago.

"Yes. She claimed it doesn't violate any of Rangeman's rules since it's black."

I cut my eyes to him. "And you actually let her set it up?"

"When I mentioned it to Julie, she said to let Ella do whatever she wants so I can send her a picture of the results."

"So you allowed it for Julie," I said, not making it a question.

That definitely made a lot more sense.

"There are only a few people I will do anything for ... she's one of them."

"Am I?"

"You already know the answer to that. There's no one I'd rather spend time with. And since I have you here, I'm not letting you leave. You might as well get comfortable."

My body's heating up again and the apartment's temperature still isn't the cause. To put some distance between us until I can get myself under control, I sat down on his comfy couch. That didn't help. Before he settled himself beside me, he set his and my wine glass down on the coffee table, wrapped his fingers around each of my ankles, and slipped off my shoes. Only then did he sit down, pulling my legs onto his lap.

My eyes rolled back in my head in true orgasm fashion as he rubbed out any of the soreness that lingered in my feet, calves, and thighs. I'm guessing he had an ulterior motive for being sweet, because anytime my legs moved, the skirt part of my dress slid further up my thighs.

"You know, although your tree is really weird, it's actually pretty when it's all lit up."

"Were you expecting it to look more like something that belongs in a funeral home?"

"Yes."

"You know Ella better than that. She has a sense of humor, but everything has to pass inspection."

"She does have high standards for everything in her domain."

"And she likes you. That should tell you something."

"Yeah ... it tells me that she has a sense of humor like you said."

I was kidding but he turned serious.

"Don't ever underestimate what you mean to people, Babe."

"I don't."

"You do. You're special to everyone here."

"I know."

"No you don't, but I'm fine with being the one to convince you. Did you notice what's on the tree aside from the hand blown ornaments?"

"The fake mini-grenades and dangling brass knuckles?"

"Tank's contribution. Somedays I regret hiring people I've served with."

" _Somedays?_ "

"Most days. Your Christmas present is sitting on the fourth branch from the top."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you want it now or in the morning?"

" _Now!_ " I said, snatching my legs back so I could slide off the couch.

Just like he said, there was a small blue and silver box tucked near the top of the tree. I pulled it out and returned to the couch to open it. I paused just after I slid a finger under one of the paper flaps as I remembered something.

"Yours is in my shoulder bag. I wasn't sure when I'd get to see you so I stuck it in there this morning. We can open them together if you want."

"I'll take _you_ now and your gift later."

I opened my mouth to say something, but it was quickly smothered by his lips. I sighed happily as his tongue moved deliberately against mine. Screw the present, I thought, even as I closed my hand tight around it so I could wrap both arms around his neck without dropping it. Too soon he was pulling back and telling me to open it. I'd rather be opening his cargo pants, but a Christmas present from him makes an okay consolation prize.

I'd gotten him a sterling silver catch-all dish to replace - if he wanted - the one on the sideboard that he's been tossing his keys into. It cost more than my dress and shoes combined, but I really liked the idea of something I give him being an apartment fixture if he chose to keep it. The price tag went up because I wanted the words _"Dump Junk Here"_ engraved on it. That present can wait, though, and so can listing the reasons behind me wanting something I picked out living here.

I let go of his neck, removed the paper from the small gift box, and took out the thin bracelet that was inside. It was a silver chain with two tiny handcuffs closed around each other. I was just about to make a joke about how many times cuffs have been mentioned in our conversations ... like when I'd been cuffed to my shower, that time he bumped my knee suggestively and told me he has cuffs when I'd only invited him up for a security check, or when he said he doesn't need cuffs to enslave a woman, but then I noticed the two-word inscription on them.

" _Batman's Babe_?" I asked, running my thumb nail over the word printed on each as if I could absorb them.

There were also tiny diamonds set at the beginning and end of each of the words.

"If I'm stuck being 'Batman', you're stuck being my 'babe'."

 _Stuck_ being his babe? Is he freakin' kidding? Half the globe would knife me in a heartbeat just for an opportunity to be his _anything_.

"It's a good thing Joe and I are done for good, otherwise you would've had to exchange this or have the words removed."

"Morelli didn't - and still doesn't - concern me. You being my babe has nothing to do with him."

"So you've finally accepted that you do share a few traits with a superhero, and I have to accept that I'm yours?"

"Yes."

He snagged my arm and refastened the tiny cuffs around my wrist. He pressed his lips to the sensitive skin of my palm before releasing me. I couldn't come up with a reason to keep my distance now so I slung an arm across his abs and rested my head on his chest, right over the steady beat of his heat. A dopey smile was trying to escape as I felt his own arms close securely around me. I let myself enjoy the feel of his heat and his muscles surrounding me for a few seconds before I spoke again.

"What do you think the chances are of Santa giving me _everything_ I want this year?"

"Depends what you're asking for."

"A car that actually runs?" I said, mostly kidding as I thought about the now snow-covered pile of scrap metal I recently abandoned.

"There's already a Cayenne with your name on it in the garage."

"You mean that literally, don't you?"

"Yes. The tag on the keychain says ' _Stephanie's vehicle_ '."

"So I _could_ go home right now if I wanted to?"

"You could, but the question is ... do you really want to?"

I don't even have to think about it. "No. I want to stay."

"For the evening? The entire night? Or the rest of your life?"

"Hmm, definitely for the evening. And I can easily be persuaded to spend tonight with you."

"And after that?" He asked.

I can't tell how serious he is about me staying here for the foreseeable future, so I answered cautiously.

"Will there be more cake if I stay here more often?"

"There's a Blitz Torte in the fridge that also has your name on it. Ella was hoping you'd be stopping by."

"A _what_?"

"It's a combination of crap she guarantees you'll like."

"I'm intrigued now ... so there's no way I can leave."

"Glad to hear it. If you'd like to stay with me tonight, I can go out with you tomorrow and help you capture your FTA."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Yes. Is it working?"

"Yeah, but you really don't have to give me anything or offer favors to get me to stick around."

"What do you suggest I do to ensure you stay until at least New Years?"

" _Seriously?_ "

"I'm rarely anything except serious. I can cancel those plans too, or you could cancel yours and come with me."

"What would I be getting myself into?"

"You'd have to attend a formal dinner party in Manhattan being thrown by a client of mine."

"Would this be a ' _Rangeman_ ' date?"

"No. It'd be a date with me."

I smiled and sat up so I could straddle his lap. His hands immediately slid under my dress and cupped my ass, pressing me into him.

"Sign me up," I said against his mouth.

I know I'm saying yes to more than just a simple date. And for once, I'm actually looking forward to ringing in a brand new year.


End file.
